When Matrix
is booted for the first time it creates its initial Matrix Options.opt
file inside the Matrix folder where ever you installed it.

Matrix has a
certain set of default files and paths which it will initially use
but from that point on you may change these setting.

Changing
Default Settings in the Matrix Options.opt File

You can view
the default settings for these files and paths by selecting the
Options (Preferences) item
in the Matrix menu.

Each set of
files is kept in a particular folder in the Matrix folder on you
hard drive.

Database
File Paths

Options
File

This default
file is Matrix Options.opt. It sits outside of other
folders in your Matrix folder. Each time Matrix is booted it
will look for this file. If it cannot find it it will create
a new one with setting permanently stored in Matrix. This file
name and location is best left alone.

Recipe
Databases

Matrix comes
with a Recipe Database called Otago Poly Glazes.rdb.
As soon as you have started storing glazes in a databases of
your own you will want to change this default settign to point
to your own database. Recipe databases should always be stored
in the Recipe Databases folder.

Materials
Database

The default
raw material file is Local Materials.rmt. This file is
a collection of materials copied into it from other material
databases in the Raw Materials folder. It is convenient to have
your own set of materials copied into this database and for
it to be kept as the default file when looking for a material
to add to a recipe. More
..

Colourants
Database

The default
raw material file is Colourants.col. Matrix comes with
a small colourants file which has the capacity to hold up to
100 individual colourants. It is unlikely that you would fill
this file. You can safely leave this as your default file in
this catagory.

.

Temperature
Options Firing Options and Default Initial Environment

These setting
will determine the initial setting which determine displays in limits
graphs and colourant calculations.

Select temperature
or cone to establish the limits data which Matrix should use on
opening.

The firing ramp
is needed for displays involving Large Orton cones which is the
default cone type used by Matrix. Most studio pottery kilns would
increase temperature (ramp) at about 60 deg. per hour.

The default
temperature unit is Celsius but you may change that so that Matrix
uses Fahrenheit.

The choice you
make in the Open at ... combo box determines whether Matrix will
open in the Recipe to Formula of the Formula to Recipe environment.

The Firing Atmosphere
Panel contains a combo box for choosing the Firing atmosphere setting
in the Recipe to Formula and the Formula to Recipe environments.
This setting determines how Matrix will treat the calculation of
some colourants.

Help
File Path

In Matrix V5
the Help system has been changed from previous versions. It is now
HTML based the files for which are all located in the Help folder.

Paths to this
system are not optional.

Limit
File Path

Limit files
are kept in the Limits folder. You may choose the limits you would
like to have loaded when Matrix is booted. Matrix comes with the
file Matrix.lim as the default limits file.

Coefficient
of Expansion File Path

Expansion coefficient
files are kept in the Expansions folder. You will find a selection
there any of which may be set as your default file. The default
file used by Matrix has been set to Winkelmann_Schott.exp.

Saving
Default Settings

When you have
made all of the changes you wish to make click the Save button.

Using
the Changes for the Current Session Only

If you wish
to make changes to use only for the current session in Matrix you
can click the Use But Dont Save button.
When Matrix boots again it will return to the default preferences
last saved.